American Wrestlers - Goodbye Terrible Youth (Album Review)
Friday, 11 November 2016
Written by Ben Gallivan
The title of American Wrestlers’ sophomore album gives a good indication as to its content. It’s a half-hour long rendering of frontman Gary McLure’s experiences of growing up and, in this case, barely any of the memories are happy ones.
‘Goodbye Terrible Youth’ is his second outing as American Wrestlers, having previously spent the best part of 15 years as part of Manchester-based shoegazers Working for a Nuclear Free City. Heading out on his own, McLure released an eponymous debut a couple of years back, initially for free via his Bandcamp page but later through Fat Possum after it had excited the ears of some influential music bloggers. That was a home-recorded affair, but ‘Goodbye Terrible Youth’ has seen the band expand into a four-piece and enter a proper studio.
Some of the subject matter forms a bridge with album one. The opening track here, Vote Thatcher, (“Still can’t believe you died,” echoes its refrain) mimics the song Kelly with its examination of police brutality, an issue that never seems to go away.
Give Up, which has trademark distorted guitars picking a fight with a catchy C86-era hook and anthemic keyboards of Bridgette Imperial, ends up being the highlight of the record, though. Despite its downbeat title, it’s the most refreshing song here to boot.
Although not ‘polished’ by a long chalk, the sound of this studio album in comparison to its home-recorded predecessor does give it a more professional, slick feel.
That does something positive for some of the tracks (Blind Kids, in particular, would feel a little out of place if recorded on an 8-track) but the glossier sound somewhat detracts from the messages being conveyed on Hello, Dear and Amazing Grace. Personal taste this may be, but it’s rare that any of the tracks flow into the next with ease.
Despite that, it’s a solid effort. The synth sounds of the early ‘80s mix with guitar sounds from the early ‘90s and are given a boost by accomplished songwriting. Whether it’s a strong enough record for repeated investigation is up for debate, but if the listener is a of a certain age the answer is likely to be positive.
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